Container



Aug. 12, 1941. L; LADD 2,252,381

CONTAINER Filed Dec. 6, 19:59

Patented Aug. 12, 1941 UNITED stares PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Lester L. Ladd, Lockport, 111.

Application December 6, 1939, Serial No. 307,771

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers principally adapted for cigarettes but adapted also for other articles in stick form such as matches, stick candy, tooth picks, and the like.

The main objects of this invention are to provide an improved form of container adapted both for storage and shipment of small articles in stick form; to provide a container of this kind having an improved form of lift for supporting the articles and for raising them to dispensing position; to provide an improved form of cover for closing the container and for depressing said lift to return the articles to storage position; to provide improved means for locking the cover to the body of the container for shipping purposes; and to provide a sturdy and inexpensive dispensing container of this kind which is simple in construction and operation.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container to which my invention is applied, part of the cover locking ring being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 2 is a vertical axial section of the improved container without the clamping ring, cigarettes being shown within the container.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but showing the cover removed and the lift in elevated or dispensing position.

Figure 4 is a transverse section of, the empty container taken on the line i4 of Figure 2,.

In the construction shown, the device comprises a magazine I for storing cigarettes or other articles 2 which are supported on an improved lift 3 which is normally held in a depressed or retracted position by the magazine cover 4.

The magazine I may be of any desired size, shape, and material. In the form shown, it comprises a cylindrical shell 5 and bottom plate 6 joined together in any suitable manner, as by a lock seam 1. On the upper edge of the shell, is an annular bead 8 forming a seat for the cover.

Mounted on the bottom plate 6, is a centrally located guide rod 9 having a stop nut l0 threaded on the upper end thereof. This rod forms a guide for the vertically movable lift 3.

In the form shown, the lift 3 comprises a tubular shaft II on the lower end of which is mounted a centrally apertured disc l2 having a diameter slightly less than the internal diameter of the shell 5, so as to permit free vertical movement of the lift.

Mounted within the shaft ii is a bearing 13 which may be rigidly secured to the shaft in any desired manner as by depressing the shaft as shown at M. The bearing I3 slidably engages the guide rod 9 and the lift is normally elevated to dispensing position by means of a coil spring l5 embracing the rod 9 and bearing between the bottom plate 6 and member l3. Upward movement of the lift is limited by the engagement of the bearing l3 with the stop nut It.

The lift [2 may be provided with radially disposed partitions I 6 connected to the shaft II and supporting disc [2 to facilitateproper stacking of the articles.

On the upper end of the shaft II is mounted a tapered plug l! for engagement with the cover 4.

The cover 4 has an annular recess 18 at its lower edge for seating the cover on the bead 8. In the lower face of the cover is a centrally located socket 19 for receiving the tapered plug ll of the lift. This socket has an inclined approach 20 to facilitate entry of the plug into the socket.

The cover may be of any desired design but it must be of sufficient weight to depress the lift against the action of the spring It.

In order to permit the improved storage container to be used also for shipping purposes, means maybe provided for locking and sealing the container. In the form shown, the lock comprises a sheet metal channel-shaped band 2| adapted to embrace the cover 4 and bead 8 as shown in Fig. 1. One end of the band has a tongue 22 adapted to engage a slot 23 in the other end of the band for detachably securing the band in operative position.

In operation, when the improved container is used for storage purposes, the cover 4 is removed and the articles are placed on the lift as shown in Fig. 3. When the cover is removed, the lift is held in its elevated position as shown in Fig. 3 by means of the spring 15 thereby holding the articles in a convenient position for dispensing. When the cover is replaced, the tapered plug ll enters the socket I9 and the lift is depressed by the weight of the cover to the position shown in Fig. 2.

When it is desired to remove one of the articles, the cover is lifted and the lift 3 is immediately elevated to dispensing position by means of .the spring 15. I

I claim:

1. A dispensing container comprising a receptacle open at its upper end, a central upright guide rod on the bottom of said container, a lift slidably mounted on said guide .rod for supporting the articles to be dispensed, a spring normally raising said lift, and a bodily removable cover for said receptacle, said cover being adapted to engage a portion of said lift and being of sufficient weight to retract said lift against the action of said spring.

2. A dispensing containe comprising a receptacle open at its upper end, a central upright guide rod on the bottom of said receptacle, a vertically movable lift for supporting articles in said receptacle, said lift having a hollow shaft slidable on said guide rod, a spring embracing said rod and engaging a portion of said shaft for normally raising said lift, and a bodily removable cover adapted to engage said shaft and by its own weight retract said lift against the action of said spring.

3. A dispensing container comprising a cylindrical receptacle open at its upper end, a centrally located upright guide rod mounted on the bottom of said receptacle, a vertically movable lift for supporting articles in said receptacle, said lift having an axially disposed hollow shaft slidable on said guide rod and having a bearing on its upper end, a spring normally raising said lift for projecting said shaft partially through the open end of said receptacle, coacting means on said rod and shaft for limiting the outward movement of said lift, and a bodily removable cover for said receptacle, said cover having a centrally located socket for receiving said bearing and said cover being adapted by its own weight to depress said lift against the action of said spring.

LESTER. L. LADD. 

